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One can hardly complain about the rain when so many have been praying for it to come for so long – and fortunately this month although there was heavy rainfall there were many bright sunny days as well, including days that had a fair portion of both rain and sunshine. Most of the International Department’s groups this month managed to dodge the heavy rain and when not, dealt with the weather with a smile, a good raincoat, an umbrella and where there was neither on hand, a bin bag saved the day! Spring is also on the way – bright colorful wild flowers everywhere announcing her impending arrival. The groups for the month of February, 2011 were very diverse indeed with folks from all over the world. First off the February post, folks from … THE SOCIETY FOR BIBLICAL STUDIES in ARTLINGTON, MASS
Raindrops are falling on their heads – and umbrellas! Rev. Peter Miano (second from left) and fellow travelers visiting the Holocaust Memorial at Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek where they visited Givat Haviva Institute’s International Department staff member Rev. Peter Miano is a Methodist clergyman who leads groups of Christians on specialized trips of the Founder and executive director of The Society for Biblical Studies in On the Society organized trips the travelers participate in what Peter Miano describes as “socially responsible” trips to the “We are not trying to make people feel good. We’re trying to make people be good, and that’s a little bit different,” says Rev. Miano. “When they begin to realize they’ve done nothing about communicating the truth or promoting justice and reconciliation, in fact they’ve been part of quite the opposite, that there is a sandpapering of the moral conscience taking place. In typical socially responsible travel, they’re never doing this stuff,” said Rev. Miano who spends around 5 months a year travelling outside the States. “The Society has an apartment in Beit Jala and that is basically my base here in the region,” Peter said when recently visiting Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek with a group of 15 who had also visited On an extremely wet day and after visiting the nearby site of KIBBUTZ VOLUNTEER SEMINAR – Here comes the rain again …
Kibbutz Volunteers – visiting the Katzir observation platform and Barta’a village – make innovative use of bin bags to stave off the rain
Forty folks from many different countries presently living and working in 11 kibbutzim attended a 2-day seminar at Givat Haviva organized by the International Department, the The volunteers program included lectures, a visit to the Holocaust exhibition halls in Givat Haviva, dealing with the structure of Israeli Society and the kibbutz movement, Israeli dancing, a lecture with regard current affairs and a tour of Wadi Ara. The feedback from the volunteers was excellent and most said they would highly recommend to other volunteers to participate in such a seminar if possible. Reactions of volunteer leaders to hearing comments made by the returning volunteers were extremely positive as were those from Aya Sagi, director of the SEE ARTICLE: Rain, Rain come our way, but why on a kibbutz volunteer seminar day! AMERICAN CHRISTIANS VISITING A second group of American visitors to
The folks - from Rene Hasan, originally from Holland and who has been a member of the kibbutz for many years, told the visitors that she was living in paradise but that even in paradise there are some problems here and there! A tennis coach, hairdresser, co-producer of kibbutz theatre productions and many other areas of work and culture in the kibbutz, Rene said she enjoyed working in different places and although difficult sometimes to be away from her former culture, family members and friends in The group also heard a few words from Khaled, a nurse at the kibbutz center for elderly members who need constant medical care. “There are 18 people in the facility at the moment and they have 24 hour care,” explained Khaled who is from the Muslim Following the visit Society for Biblical Studies director Peter Miano emailed: “People were speaking of their visit in glowing terms last night!”
Teachers from Saxony at the Peace Tree and right: at the peace pole planted by a Japanese organization in the grounds of Givat Haviva and below: out and about in the
For a number of years groups of teachers from INTENSIVE ARABIC SEMESTER students visit Mishmar HaEmek A busy month of studies, tours and activities in the communities for January – June, 2011 semester
The students met with one of the first born of the kibbutz 84 year-old Elisha Linn and were shown around the kibbutz in-house museum by Elisha and Dafna Govrin, one of the museums founders.
IAS students visiting the Amir mountain range overlooking the Palestinian village of Anin and Palestinian city of Jenin, center: speaking with Palestinian businessman Allam Abu Abead in Barta’a and right: during a break from teaching English in Baka al-Gharbiya high-school The 11 students participating in the 4th term of the Intensive Arabic Semester are now well settled in to the 5-month program. They are kept on their toes with classroom studies, contributing to the community by teaching English at a Baka al-Gharbiya high-school, getting to know the members of Kibbutz Barkai where the program is based and undertaking interesting tours to sites in the region on organized tours led by International Department staff members. During the tours they have had the opportunity to meet and speak with Israeli Jews and Arabs as well as Palestinians living and working close to the Green Line but living west of the security fence. The present group of students comes from This month the students also paid a visit to various departments and exhibitions halls of Givat Haviva. SEE ARTICLE … People, Places, Past & Present SEE ARTICLE … IAS – Moshe Flinker: Teen Holocaust Victim who studied Arabic
THE GERMAN ASSOCIATION of the Twenty-six young German men and women volunteering for a year in the region, together with 3 staff members, spent a day divided between visiting Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek (photo above) and touring the area of Umm al-Fahm, Mei Ami, Shaked settlements, Katzir and Barta’a. The young people are working in institutions caring for mentally and physically impaired youth and adults in SEE ARTICLE … GERMAN YOUTH ON YEAR SERVICE TO ISRAEL & PALESTINIAN AREAS IN-HOUSE SEMINAR FOR VOLUNTEERS LIVING AND WORKING AT KIBBUTZ GEVA An afternoon seminar by
Volunteers from Volunteer Leader Brenda Landes, who is originally from Wales but lived in kibbutz since the 1960s when she made aliya, commented on the important role the volunteers in Geva play in all branches of her kibbutz and of the important role Givat Haviva played in organizing seminars both at the Wadi Ara campus and by reaching out to the kibbutzim for on-sight seminars. CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE of
A group of Central Synagogue of Nassau County, New York congregants with Rabbi Marc A. Gruber (3rd from right) called in at Givat Haviva during a lull in rainstorms. Following a short walk around the campus, explanations as to the educational projects and background information with regard Haviva Reik, the group participated in a tour of the Amir mountain range for an overview of Barta’a village, the Whilst the parents and grandparents were out and about, the children of the group participated in an activity at the nearby kibbutz of Ein Shemer. “I am really impressed with the efforts being made here in Givat Haviva to bring people together for dialogue,” said one of the congregants before going off to collect their children. Rabbi Gruber has visited Givat Haviva in the past and we hope to see him again in the not too distant future. KIVUNIM – NEW DIRECTIONS
Students and educators with the innovative Kivunim-New Directions program are seen above working in the madaffi on campus, taking in the view over the Fifty-two American students are presently participating in the long-term program that also includes visiting a number of other countries to study the history of the Jewish people from those regions – literally hands on. Freshly back from a visit to SPECIAL VISITORS – Peter & Suze Junge from
Peter and Suze Junge from
SEE ARTICLE: Dutch couple visits Givat Haviva after successful Kibbutz Volunteer event in Amsterdam PILGRIMS FROM
Curious to know more about kibbutz a group of 35 Christians from Linz in Austria called in at Mishmar HaEmek to hear about the 1921 founded Hashomer Hatzair kibbutz on the slopes of the Menashe mountain range. Austrian group leader Renate Bauminger has visited in the past and wanted her group to share in some of the rich history of the kibbutz and also hear about the work of Givat Haviva from kibbutz member and International Department staffer The group was accompanied by Israeli tour guide Nora Pugatsch. Upon leaving the kibbutz Nora commented on how much she had enjoyed her first visit to Mishmar HaEmek and as to how much she had learned during the visit! “It was really important to me that this group would meet you and see the kibbutz,” said Renate Bauminger before the group headed off for
Westtown, Jonathan Evans, an educator from Westtown – a Quaker boarding school near Judging from the seminar summary the February, 2011 seminar was also a big hit with both educators and students alike.
SEE ARTICLE: WESTTOWN IN TOWN AGAIN GROUP OF AMERICAN FOLK with PETER MIANO (the third this month)
A sunny break during heavy rainstorms enabled Peter Miano and folks from the States to visit Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek between visits to Following a tour around the outskirts of the veteran kibbutz – and when the sun suddenly broke through – the group visited the kibbutz cemetery where During the Second World War British army personnel trained Haviva Reik, Hannah Senesh and other Jewish volunteers from British Mandate Palestine in the area close to the Palmach Cave, meters from the cemetery where one of those British officers and trainers of Haviva Reik – Conal Allingham – was buried in recent years as was his wife, Yael (Weizman) Allingham, some years later. The American visitors found the historical recap of past events connecting Givat Haviva and Mishmar HaEmek of great interest, asked many questions and said they would be emailing for more information when they return home. GALILEE COLLEGE, NAHALAL staff members join International Department tour to Dotan Valley
Orly Ashroff, Liora Aharoni and Shiri Salant check their maps whilst viewing the Dotan Valley: from Katzir to Barta’a, Reichan, Yabed and Kafin with the Jewish community of Mitzpeh Ilan in the foreground. With all the open areas covered in rich greenery and colorful wild flowers, almond and other blossoming trees – the Israeli staff members of The International Department at Givat Haviva are hopeful of working closely together with the Galilee College in future joint programs for their groups from overseas, mostly from Third World countries. A very busy month indeed – but the more the merrier so they say! L’hitraot - the International Department staff:
Hilit Ben-Zvi (with student Shira Conradi), Uri Barel;
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